


Just us against the universe

by OaXs



Category: DCU (Comics), Green Lantern - All Media Types, Justice League - All Media Types, The Flash - All Media Types
Genre: Barry is a dork in love, Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hal is also a dork in love, M/M, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:55:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23557183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OaXs/pseuds/OaXs
Summary: Chp 1 - Hal and Barry swaying in the night to Space Oddity.Chp 2 - Hal wants to give Barry the anniversary the speedster deserves; Barry just wants Hal to survive the night.Might add a few more drabbles as they come to mind - Have updated rating due to Hal's bad language!
Relationships: Barry Allen & Hal Jordan, Barry Allen/Hal Jordan
Comments: 15
Kudos: 29





	1. I'll be waiting

Sometimes Barry would wake in the morning, a scribbled note resting on his pillow with a brief description about a terrorist threat on a planet one solar system over and a hope to be home by the next day. 

Sometimes the mission that was only meant to take a day merges into a week, and if Barry is lucky, Hal will be in a sector close enough to send a heads up.

The pair will try to squeeze in a nice dinner, or a game of world tag, or... other _activities_ , before the Lantern finally heads out.

But then there were times like tonight, where Hal gets the call to action too late. The situation has already escalated out of control, and an all-out war is about to commence, which could go on for weeks, if not months.

Hal is given fifteen minutes to make the necessary arrangements before he needs to leave. He's up, washed and dressed in three. The speedster who was sleeping by his side also now awake and alert. 

Hal can see the slight anxiety hidden behind Barry's eyes, even with nothing but the small bedside lamp lighting up the room, casting long shadows up the walls and leaving the occupants in barely suppressed darkness. 

The Lantern is determined to snuff out as much of that fear as possible. 

Giving Barry his most charming smile, Hal dipped into a low bow while extending one hand in offering. It doesn't take long before they're stood in each other's arms, swaying softly to the slow melodies played by Barry's old cd player. 

Barry let his head rest against Hal's chest, resisting the urge to slip into the speed force to make the minutes last longer. The speedster could feel the steady thrum of Hal's heartbeat against his fingertips and let his grip on the older man tighten, grounding himself with Hal's presence. When he was around his best friend, his senses went into overdrive.

That said, Barry was acutely aware of the current song ending, a new one fading in.

'Ground control to Major Tom...'

Of course, Hal would choose a CD that had _their_ song on it. 

Barry could hear every hitch in Hal's voice as the Lantern quietly hummed along. He was hyperaware of each breath as goosebumps and lightning trembled down his arms. Hal gave a faint chuckle in response, the only giveaway that Barry had just given him a small shock of electricity.

The speedster allowed himself a calming moment of bliss, closing his eyes and simply existing together with Hal as David Bowie serenaded the pair. 

But a moment wasn't a moment if it lasted forever, and soon Barry's thoughts drifted to what would follow... Hal would leave; he would fly off to fight in a war that had a planet, or a solar system, or even the very universe hanging in the balance. Each mission a high stake gamble taking place lightyears away from home (from _Barry_ ), but Hal never refused a call to arms. Too good and too fearless to let others fight a battle on his behalf. 

And maybe Barry was being overdramatic. Today was one of the outlier situations; Hal's duties as a Lantern were not exclusive to fighting wars, he was as much a peacekeeper as a soldier. 

An 'intergalactic space-cop' in Hal's own words. 

The Flash had even gone on a handful of space excursions with Earth's Green Lantern to assist with various bits and pieces. Before the Watchtower had been constructed, Hal had shown Barry a glimpse of the vast universe that existed far beyond Earth's small pocket of space.

A sigh pulled Barry out of his thoughts. Hal stepped further into Barry's space until they were flushed against one another, his arms wrapping around the speedster's waist.

They were out of time. 

Barry followed Hal's movements, stretching his arms around the Lantern's neck and meeting the man's blue eyes' with his own. The kiss that followed was short and sweet, a rarity considering Hal's impulsion to be over the top.

"I love you," Barry whispered, "Be safe out there."

"Love you too, Bear," Hal replied, breaking their embrace to step back towards the balcony that overlooked Barry's garden. In a blink of green light, Hal was wearing his Lantern uniform. "I'll come back, no matter what, and that's a _promise_." 

Hal's words washed over the scarlet speedster and wrapped him in a blanket of calm confidence. It wasn't a fair promise to make; despite being one of the powerhouses of the Justice League, Hal wasn't invulnerable. The Lantern hadn't broken his promise yet though. Even if it meant turning up at Barry's door at 5 am, exhausted from flying home with no rest, Hal always came back.

Barry continued to watch the stars long after Hal's dim green glow had disappeared.

"I'll be waiting." 


	2. Lost without you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hal wants to give Barry the anniversary the speedster deserves; Barry just wants Hal to survive the night.
> 
> Hal sickfic!

Hal is... Well, he's not sure there's a word in the English language that comprehends how tired he is right now. Exhausted doesn't seem to do justice to the heavy ache in his bones, or the constant pull of bruising in his back, or the awful and annoying stab of pain whenever he breathes too deep. 

With a shuddering sigh, the pilot tried to pull his thoughts together and gauge how long it'd been since he'd slept in his own bed (or Barry's bed to be specific). Time passed as strange for Hal in space as it did for his favourite speedster on Earth. Three weeks, he thinks, but there's a lick of doubt in his gut that makes Hal speculate it may have been longer. Either way, all this thinking was giving him a headache. 

Hal pinched the bridge of his nose to relieve some of the tension building behind his eyes. He can practically hear Barry's voice teasing him; 'Look's like you're slacking old man'. Old man his ass, Hal wasn't even thirty yet.

Once the throbbing in his head has reduced to an acceptable level, the Lantern permits his clenched shut eyes to blink open. Hal's gaze is drawn to the green power ring that stood out sharply against the white of his gloves, and a sudden thought struck him - He's an idiot. Which is really nothing new, but now his head is feeling a little clearer, he remembers with chagrin that the supercomputer on his finger can calculate exactly how long he's been off-world in a matter of seconds. 

Hal's embarrassment gives way to frustration when he's told that the Earth has completed 25 rotations since the Lantern's departure. 

Damn it. Hal had told Barry he'd be back before the end of the month. Even if the Lantern ignored the conventional pitstops, there was no way for him to reach his sector, let alone make it home in the next 5 hours. If he wanted to make it back by the 1st, he would need to leave now and punch it the entire way to Earth. 

Hal could feel his body physically protest at the idea. 

That didn't change the fact that Hal _needed_ to be back by the 1st. It would be precisely two years since the speedster and the Lantern started dating (again); and while Hal had never been someone who actively celebrated anniversaries, he knew that Barry considered them to be important. And because Barry was so much more than just his best friend, Hal would let nothing get in the way of giving the speedster the anniversary he deserved. 

Steeling himself against the heavy fatigue clinging to his bones, Hal forced his battered body to move through the Green Lantern outpost to give everyone a quick farewell. Fortunately, he had already given his after mission report to the Guardians, who were as unimpressed by Hal's antics and general attitude as usual. The overbearing bunch of a-holes.

Finally, with the necessary pleasantries out of the way, Hal prompted his ring to start processing the complex hyperspace trajectory calculations that would take him home. Going by how long it took to arrive, Hal estimated that the return journey should take approximately 16 hours with no stops. His ring currently held an 83% charge, which would be almost entirely burned through by the travel alone. 

By regulation standards, he should break off for a rest between hours 8 and 12. It would add on a notable amount of time to his ETA, but the break would allow him to recharge his ring and his body. Then again, Hal liked a challenge.

Reaching into the ring, Hal paused to adjust the composition of his suit, before giving the signal to initiate space warp. Moments later, he was being pulled into a burst of green light that gave way to the familiar blur of space whipping by at speeds too fast for Hal to process.

It took training, experience and focused willpower to travel at superluminal speed for any significant length of time. After years of space travel, Hal likes to think he has the knack of it, but that doesn't make the physical strain any easier. He's glad he had the foresight to adjust his suit because even with the additional support, he can feel each twinge of aching muscle like a slow burn. The pain threatens to distract him and chip away at his strength. But this isn't Hal's first rodeo. The Lantern centres his focus on what, or rather who was waiting for him on the other end. The rest of his mind slipped with practised ease into what Hal dubbed as 'flight mode'.

Even so, the hours pass slower than he'd like. 

When Hal finally arrives back in his own solar system, it seems to take all his strength to reduce his momentum enough to not rip apart the Earth on re-entry. Flying tired in general, not to mention at faster-than-light speeds, was a universal no-no. He'd been chewed out enough times in USAF and more recently by Kilowog to understand the reasoning behind the rule, even if he didn't always follow it.

Once he's back in Earth's atmosphere, Hal lets himself unwind slightly, drifting instinctually towards Central City. It would be a lot easier if he flew directly to Barry's. Still, he could practically hear the blonde chewing him out about secret identities, so maybe not. 

When Hal eventually touched down in a quiet alleyway a few blocks from Barry's house, his ring is blinking sharply - less than 3% power remaining. With a sigh, the Lantern let his uniform dissipate.

The regret is almost instantaneous as every fibre of his being seems to flare up in pain. Hal's vision goes white for a moment, and he has to lean against the wall and just _breathe_ for a few minutes. He briefly wonders if one of the rogues are attacking, because the ground seems to be shifting beneath him and it takes Hal an extraordinary amount of effort to remain upright.

Once he's reasonably sure he isn't about to pass out or throw up the instant he moves, Hal attempts to stumble towards the entrance of the alley. His chest aches fiercely, but as he edges closer to the bustling city just outside of reach, it's his head that protests the loudest. 

The physical side effects were just another reason that extended periods of hyperspace travel was _not_ recommended. The symptoms were like that of normal motion sickness, but about fifty times worse. Hal was a pilot though, and something like a bout of motion sickness wasn't about to stop him.

This train of thought lasted for all of two minutes before the Lantern was forced to accept that there was no way he could make it home in his current state without assistance. Luckily, he still had cash in his wallet, which meant he could get a cab.

The trip in the back of the car went about as well as Hal had expected. The blurring scenery passing by made his head swim, and he'd resorted to clutching the leather seats of the vehicle in a death grip to try and steady himself. By the time the cab reaches Barry's place, Hal was physically shaking as he stepped onto the sidewalk, a cold sweat wrapping around him.

Panting from the exertion of walking from the sidewalk to the front door, Hal slipped inside and glared at empty home that awaited him. Of course, it was a little over 11 am on a Thursday, which meant Barry was most likely at his day job with the CCPD.

Hal let out a frustrated groan. 

The Lantern tried to channel some of Barry's optimism. It was their anniversary, and Hal imagined he looked like patient zero of some deadly new virus about to wipe out the planet. Not exactly the romantic setting Barry would appreciate, so he could use the time between the speedster getting home and now to shower and catch up on some sleep. 

That was the plan at least, but as the Lantern curled over the toilet desperately trying to keep his insides where they belong, Hal remembered why he and 'planning' never got along. He didn't have much time to dwell on these thoughts, though, as another wave of nausea crashed into him. With nothing left in him to throw up, Hal could only ride out the motions as his stomach clenched and his chest sparked with white-hot fury.

What felt like hours passed before Hal was sure he wouldn't be heaving again anytime soon. Driven purely by willpower, the Lantern pushed himself up and out of the bathroom, stumbling blindly towards the queen-sized bed in Barry's room. When he finally felt the resistance of its wooden frame against his knees, Hal let his body drop onto the mattress. He was distantly aware of his uncomfortable position; half sprawled across the foot of the bed with his legs hanging off the end. Still, Hal couldn't draw up the energy to care or make an attempt to move.

At some point, Hal must have succumbed to sleep, because he's suddenly stirred by a frantic Barry. Through the woolly sensation smothering his ears, Hal can make out the speedster's threats to call an ambulance, or worse, Batman, if Hal didn't answer him.

"-'mmm awake, I'm awake! Ugh, why would you get Spooky involved, Bar?" Hal manages to string together in response.

"Because I thought there was something seriously wrong with you!" Barry exclaimed, his panic giving way to anger.

"-ngh, I think the jury's still out on that one." Hal replied in an attempt at humour. 

Barry's gaze softened as he noted the pain showing in every line of Hal's face. The speedster ran a hand through the other man's brunette locks, before letting it rest on Hal's forehead.

"I think you have a fever, how do you feel?" Barry asked, keeping his voice low.

Hal reached up and gripped Barry's hand with his own, "I missed you." 

"I missed you too, but I can see you're hurting and I want to help." Barry said honestly, not letting Hal deflect the question.

"You _are_ , Bear." Hal replied, letting his eye's drift shut and clutching Barry's hand to his chest like a child with their favourite stuffed animal. 

The speedster followed the movement, crouching low next to Hal's face, his eye's searching for any visible injuries. He can hear the slight rasp in the Lantern's breathing, which he noted was shallower than usual. Chest discomfort; probably bruised ribs. Barry also recognised some of the signs of 'space sickness' as Hal dubbed it. 

Barry prodded the Lantern further, "Do you feel nauseous?"

"Been there, done that, no gift shop though." Hal muttered, slowly drifting off again, barely half-awake.

They stayed in that position for a while, with Barry savouring the comfort of Hal finally being home. 

The peace didn't last forever though, and Barry was broken from his trance as Hal suddenly clutched tightly onto the speedsters arm. A gasp of pain escaped from the Lantern's lips before he could smother it.

"Where?" Barry asked, letting a stern edge creep into his voice. Hal was in pain and Barry wasn't about to let the man's stubbornness stop him from getting proper medical attention.

Hal let out another low groan before answering, "My back."

Cautiously, Barry manoeuvred Hal into a sitting position and stripped off the well-worn jacket and the black t-shirt underneath. The speedster's eye's narrowed as he took in the patchwork of bruising that spread across Hal's back and chest. 

"What happened, did you get hit by a train?" Barry asked in exasperation.

"Close, it was a small moon." Hal said, almost laughing at the memory. 

Barry couldn't help but wonder what exactly the Lantern considered to be a 'small' moon. However, before he had time to dwell on the matter, Hal hunched over in pain once more. Even without superspeed, Barry could see the twitch of muscle spasms that trembled down Hal's back, aggravating the dark contusions present.

"Your muscles are seizing up, I'll run you a bath." Barry told the Lantern, pressing a quick kiss to the other man's lips before moving into the en-suite bathroom. 

Hal blinks and somehow finds himself standing buck nude in front of the large freestanding tub that took up a considerable proportion of Barry's bathroom. He's too used to Barry's superspeed taxi service to question the sudden change in position or his state of undress. 

Within minutes the bath is filled and the faint wisps of steam rising from the water call out to Hal. The Lantern can't resist their beckoning for long.

Once his rear hits the bottom of the bath, Hal scoots down further, closing his eyes as the warm water pools over his mouth and nose until he's fully submerged. The muscles in his back relax significantly as the heat acts as a soothing balm to Hal's various aches and pains. It's also blissfully quiet under the water, and the slight weightlessness reminds Hal of floating in space. 

When Hal feels Barry's fingers brush against his shoulder, he knows he's been under too long, and the speedster is worried he's not lucid enough not to drown. Gently, Hal rises up once more until his head and neck have broken the surface of the water. Neither says anything, but Barry settles into the small space between the tub and the wall and begins to rub shampoo through Hal's hair. The speedster's movements are surprisingly slow and thorough, and Hal can't help but fall into a light doze. 

Too soon the water grows uncomfortably cool, and Hal has to concede that it's time to get out. Somehow he feels more tired than when he got into the tub, but Barry's already pulling the plug, and the jolt of cold air that follows is enough to get him on his feet. There's also a nagging in the back of his mind that he's forgotten something important, but whatever it is slips away as Barry wraps him in a warm fluffy towel. It's red, of course, and Hal hugs it close around his shoulders. He'd prefer to hug Barry, but the speedster is too busy pulling a pair of sweatpants and grey t-shirt from one of his draws.

By the time Hal is dressed, the nagging is back. But his thoughts have grown too hazy to grasp at now, and he's only half-aware of Barry's soft touches guiding him under the covers. Darkness impedes his vision before his head even reaches the pillow and Hal finds himself falling into a restless sleep.

At some point afterwards, Hal becomes aware of Barry's voice echoing around the bedroom. The speedster sounds upset, and it gives Hal the strength to peel his eyes open for a moment.

"-you mind? Hal's pretty out of it, and I'd rather not leave him alone until the fever has broken." 

Barry was speaking into his mobile, pacing back and forth in the telltale sign that he's anxious about something. 

"Thanks a lot, Jay. I'll keep you updated." The speedster says before hanging up the phone. 

Hal wants to reach out and comfort his partner, but his limbs feel like lead, and any strength he'd managed to attain earlier is swept away from him in a flash. 

The pilot falls back into unconsciousness before Barry can realise Hal had ever stirred.

When Hal wakes next, it's with the feeling of guilt laying heavy on his shoulders. He's not sure why, but he feels the desperate need to apologise to Barry. Some part of him understands that he's sick, and maybe that's why Hal feels guilty, for burdening Barry with his health. But he's been ill before, and somehow it feels like today's offence is worse. Hal's thoughts start to spiral as a voice that sounds like his older brother begins to whisper in his ear about how much of a screw up he is.

Fuck. Hal really needs to apologise to Barry, _now_ , but the speedster isn't here. 

'What's there to stay for, Harold?' The voice sneers and Hal clutches his hands over his ears to try to block it out. 'You hurt him, Hal. You hurt everyone you touch, you're poisonous.'

"Fuck, I'm sorry Bear... Please, Barry, don't leave, I'm sorry." Hal's voice is hoarse, and he can't figure out if he's too hot or too cold. He feels weak and shaky; he just wants Barry.

"Please Barry, don't leave, I'm sorry." Hal repeated, struggling to catch his breath as the heaviness on his shoulders coiled around his chest like a vice.

"Please, Hal, open your eye's for me. You're scaring me, please just look at me; I'm right here."

Hal would recognise that voice anywhere, but his mind could only focus on one thing. 'You're scaring me.' Damn it, he never wanted to scare Barry away.

"You haven't Hal, trust me. Please, just open your eyes." The new familiar voice was being persistent, drowning out the one in his head. The Lantern didn't understand though, his eyes were open, weren't they? 

Or maybe not. 

Hal realised that there was nothing but neverending emptiness laid out in front of him. Barry needed him, needed him to open his eyes. It seemed to take a herculean effort, but eventually, Hal could make out the blurred image of a certain blonde.

"Bear?" 

"Yes, love, it's me. I'm here, I'm not going anywhere." Barry whispered, pressing his forehead against Hal's and letting one arm grip the back of the older man's neck.

It seemed to take an enormous amount of time for Hal to process his words, but Barry could see the spark of recognition bloom in the other man's gaze. 

"Hal, you're sick, and I'm not sure what's going on, but I need you to breathe for me." Barry kept his gaze locked with Hal's, making sure the Lantern was actually processing what he was saying.

Once it's brought to his attention, Hal can suddenly feel the burning of his lungs crying out for air. His first few breathes are stuttered and painful. 

Barry's there for him though, one hand rubbing light circles on Hal's back, while the speedster patiently walked Hal through how to breathe again. 

A pang of hurt washes over Barry as he observes Hal's fever-induced distress. He wished he could do more than just offer his best friend whispered reassurances. Logically, Hal should be seen by a doctor, but the speedster knows how much Hal despises hospitals. As a compromise, Barry resolves to call J'onn and Bruce if Hal continued to get worse, or wasn't any better by morning.

Until then, Barry is determined to watch over his partner. He adjusts their position on the bed so that the speedster was partially sat up against the headboard, with Hal's head resting on his chest. The Lantern settles down immediately, revelling in Barry's natural warmth. Absently Barry's fingers card through Hal's hair, thoughts swirling about what-if scenarios.

Barry doesn't sleep a wink all night but is flooded with relief when Hal's fever breaks in the early hours of the morning.

Hal finally comes to a short while after 7 am. It's not a graceful awakening, but Barry is so happy to see the clarity in his partner's blue eyes that he doesn't care about anything else.

"Welcome home, love. I'm glad you're back." Barry says, voice overflowing with emotion. 

As Hal pieces together the fuzzy memories of the last 24 hours and takes in the dark circles under Barry's baby blues, the Lantern can't stop himself from catching the speedster's lips with his own. After the stress of yesterday melts away, the kiss soon becomes more heated. It had been almost a month since the pair had seen each other and -

Their anniversary. Crap. Hal had ruined their anniversary. The Lantern broke away from the kiss and gripped Barry's hands in his own.

"Damn it, Bear - I, I'm really sorry I ruined our second anniversary, I know how much it would have meant for us to go out and-." 

Barry quickly broke off Hal's rambling, "What are you talking about? Hal... Our anniversary isn't until next month."

It was impossible. Hal had been so sure that yesterday was their anniversary. But he knew, just from the tone of Barry's voice, that the speedster was telling the truth. 

"I- erm..." Hal could feel a heavy blush settle over his cheeks and collapsed face-first back into Barry's chest in defeat. He's an idiot. 

Hal knows it. 

Barry knows it. 

And the universe would never stop reminding Hal that he'd be completely and utterly lost without the speedster by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was meant to be a quick one-shot, but I've got a particular storyline running in my head and this was already so long that I've split it into two chapters! Keep an eye out for more updates shortly ;0)
> 
> Thank you Weddely, ceeloilights and batflash11 for the feedback, as well as everyone who's left kudos - the support feels amazing!
> 
> \- OaXs

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies if the pair came across as OOC, this my the first time writing either character :0)
> 
> Stay safe and well everyone - OaXs


End file.
